Pink Cross Honoring Dead Daughter Removed By U.S Forest Services Since It’s A Religious Symbol

Grace Tam used to have a pink cross honoring her memory, but now the United States Forest Services demanded that the family take it down since it is a religious symbol, which is supposedly against regulations.

In a related report by The Inquisitr, another teen desecrated a Jesus statue by posting a Facebook photo showing him mimicking a sexual act with the statue. Now the teen is facing two years due to a law that prevents people from abusing so-called venerated objects.

The pink cross was intended to remember when the 11-year-old girl who was killed at the Big Four Ice Caves in July of 2010 when a chunk of falling ice the size of a vehicle landed on her and killed her. Grace and her brother were told by hikers not to go inside the cave system due to the danger of falling ice, but unfortunately they happened to be standing right where the ice fell outside the cave.

In 2013, Grace’s family erected the pink cross outside the caves as a memorial, but then the U.S. Forest services told Grace’s father, John Tam, to take the pink cross down since it was a religious symbol.

“We don’t want to be seen as taking a position on religion one way or another,” explained District Ranger Peter Forbes, of the U.S. Forest Service. “It’s not that we plan to disrespect the individual’s wishes, it’s public land. If everyone felt they had the right to do that, those things would be popping up all over.”

Mr. Tam says he was speechless at the request, but he wrote this email anyway.

“Please note we took the day off & went up the Ice Caves & removed Gracie’s cross per yours’ & US forest service requirement. Please note every so often, I will be still going up there with a temporary cross.”

The pink cross was removed by the Tam family the other day. The U.S. Forest Service had also installed a plaque this past July that both honored Grace Tam and warned hikers of the danger of falling ice.